Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Master of Arts
Purpose
The MA program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is designed to develop skilled clinicians and well-educated leaders in the mental health field. Within a caring and challenging environment, this 60-credit-hour program is designed to facilitate the acquisition and application of knowledge and skills to prepare counselor trainees to effectively practice in diverse settings. Utilizing a scientist practitioner model, the program emphases include integration of theory and practice, critical thinking, and decision making, and examination of personal values and experiences as they influence clinical practice. Students obtain strong theoretical and technical training which is applied during field-based counseling practicum and internships.
Student Learning Outcomes
SLO 1a: Identify and develop professional and ethical behaviors consistent with those defined and demonstrated within professional counseling associations (i.e. ACA, AAMFT, ASCA, AMCD).
SLO 1b: Examine the cultural contexts of relationships, issues, and trends in a multicultural society and generate therapeutic conceptualizations and interventions.
SLO 1c: Examine the nature and needs of persons at all developmental levels and generate appropriate therapeutic conceptualizations and interventions.
SLO 1d: Evaluate career development and related life factors as part of clinical assessment of clients’ therapeutic needs.
SLO 1e: Evaluate the counseling process for diverse client populations and demonstrate helping skills needed for successful professional practice.
SLO 1f: Examine and apply theoretical and experiential understandings of group process as a means of promoting therapeutic change.
SLO 1g: Examine and apply individual and group approaches to assessment.
SLO 1h: Examine and apply research methods, statistical analysis, needs assessment, and program evaluation.
SLO 2a: Demonstrate understanding of the history and development of the clinical mental health counseling profession and current models of case conceptualization and treatment planning, including attention to assessment as well as school-community-college collaboration and consultation.
SLO 2b: Demonstrate understanding of the effective and ethical functioning of mental health counselors in their varied roles in serving the mental health needs of client populations using appropriate diagnostic principles and tools while considering multicultural factors and legislative policy as a backdrop to practice.
SLO 2c: Demonstrate research and learned knowledge of necessary elements for clinical mental health counseling to provide competent and ethical clinical services for diverse client populations and presenting problems, for self-care, and for client and profession advocacy.
SLO 3: Demonstrate the professional knowledge, skills, and practices necessary to promote the academic, career, and personal/social development of a variety of client populations.
Clinical Mental Health Counseling Curriculum (60 hours)
All core courses should be completed before any student enters practicum or internship and they may be required for other courses as well. Graduate students should talk with their advisors when planning a course of study to be sure that they include courses required to become licensed as professional counselors. Students are cautioned that deviating from the established sequence of courses may result in extending the time to complete the program. Your advisor should be consulted about any required change in your course of study.
Requirements List
| CEDU 601 | Counseling Theories and Techniques I | 3 |
| CEDU 602 | Counseling Theories and Techniques II | 3 |
| CEDU 605 | Advanced Human Growth and Development | 3 |
| CEDU 616 | Methods of Assessment and Evaluation | 3 |
| CEDU 620 | Methods of Research and Program Evaluation | 3 |
| CEDU 621 | Crisis Intervention Counseling | 3 |
| CEDU 625 | Group Counseling | 3 |
| CEDU 635 | Advanced Psychopathology | 3 |
| CEDU 640 | The Counselor as Professional, Practitioner, and Consultant | 3 |
| CEDU 645 | Career Development: Theory and Practice | 3 |
| CEDU 646 | Couples and Family Counseling (Elective)* | 3 |
| CEDU 647 | Child and Adolescent Counseling (Elective) | 3 |
| | OR | |
| CEDU 667 | Seminar on Contemporary Issues in Counseling (Elective) | 1-3 |
| | AND | |
| CEDU 650 | Legal, Ethical, and Professional Issues in Counseling | 3 |
| CEDU 655 | Psychodiagnostics and Treatment Planning | 3 |
| CEDU 660 | Substance Use Disorders Counseling | 3 |
| CEDU 665 | Multicultural Counseling | 3 |
| CEDU 670 | Clinical Mental Health Counseling Practicum | 3 |
| CEDU 690 | Clinical Mental Health Counseling Internship I | 3 |
| CEDU 691 | Clinical Mental Health Counseling Internship II | 3 |
| CEDU 699 | Professional Development of the Clinical Mental Health Counselor | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 60 |
Optional Marriage, Couples, and Family Counseling Concentration (9 hours)
Within the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program, the optional Marriage, Couples, and Family Counseling (MCFC) concentration courses will prepare graduates to holistically assess and treat the therapeutic needs of couples and families. As part of the 69 credit hours of graduate-level training (60 hours in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program plus 9 hours of MCFC courses), students acquire theoretical and practical knowledge and skills that equip them to understand and intervene in their clients’ lives. The concentration prepares students for pursuit of the Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in addition to the Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC). Students choosing to pursue licensure as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in addition to an LCMHC will need to work closely with their program advisor to ensure that they meet requirements unique to the LMFT credential.
Students enrolled in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) Program with Marriage, Couples, and Family Counseling (MCFC) Concentration will meet all requirements for the CMHC Program along with the following requirements specific to the MCFC Concentration:
In CEDU 620 (Methods of Research and Program Evaluation), students will select topics related to marriage, couples, and family counseling for their assigned research projects.
In CEDU 655 (Psychodiagnostics and Treatment Planning), students will use case studies to competently diagnose all types of psychopathology, and to develop appropriate treatment plans related to individuals, couples, and families.
Students enrolled in the MCFC Concentration will take CEDU 646 (Couples and Family Counseling) as a required course.
In Practicum and Internship courses, students will complete their clinical experiences in relational hours that align with the NC Licensing Boards. Students planning to pursue licensure in a state other than North Carolina are encouraged to consult with faculty members to determine whether there is a need to complete additional clinical requirements for that state.
Students will complete the following additional 9 hours of coursework:
| CEDU 656 | Theoretical Foundation of Marriage and Family Therapy | 3 |
| CEDU 657 | The Practice of Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling (Part I) | 3 |
| CEDU 658 | The Practice of Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling (Part II) | 3 |
Total Credit Hours: 60-69